FPV in Atlantic Canada

  • May 30, 2013 3:09 pm

We are fortunate to have the first of it’s kind event in Atlantic Canada to happen in our neck of the woods. The Atlantic Canada FPV and Multirotor Meeting will take place on June 15th (Rescheduled from June 8th due to rain), 2013, in Hillsborough, NB. You can find out more details about the event on the MAAC website or the Facebook group (Atlantic Canada FPV and Multirotor Meeting). So what’s this FPV stuff about anyway?

FPV, or First Person View, is a new segment of the RC hobby that involves using a video camera and video link to operate a radio controlled vehicle. This can include airplanes, helicopters, multicopters, and even cars, trucks, and boats!

The perspective is that of being in the driver’s seat and must be experienced to be fully appreciated. To enhance the illusion, there are special video goggles that place video screens close to your eyes so that you feel truly immersed. The first time I tried to pilot my tricopter using FatShark video goggles, I literally fell out of my chair and had to land and take a break before trying again; my brain had initially rejected the virtual environment being detached from my physical body experience. A subsequent flight was no problem, but it just shows how realistic the visual sensation of flying is.

FPV is first and foremost a visual experience. The flying is actually secondary to the visual environment you are exploring. Because of this, the traditional role of the club field as a designated place for RC piloting is changed. FPV pilots seek out beautiful places to explore from the air.

FPV involves RC piloting, electronics, software, amateur radio and videography. Because of it’s multi-disciplinary nature, there is a tremendous amount of information to absorb and significant complexity. Rather than jump into a full blown FPV setup, it is recommended that FPV pilots progress incrementally starting with a basic airframe without video, then adding a camera, then a video transmitter and ground display, etc. In this way, you can gain good working knowledge along each step and mitigate risk and costs. 

You can learn a lot at an event such as the Atlantic Canada FPV and Multirotor Meeting. If this exiting new hobby interests you, you should make an effort to attend. Everyone is welcome and there is no charge. As this is a MAAC sanctionned event, all flying participants must be current MAAC members.

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Indoor Season is Here!

  • October 26, 2012 10:43 am

Indoor flying started in October and is taking place bi-weekly on Sunday nights from 6pm – 9pm at Lewisville Middle School. For a listing of dates and times, refer to our Events page.

This is a great place to fly small electric models in no-wind conditions. New pilots will appreciate the simplified environment to learn how to fly without the added complexity of wind. More advanced pilots are on hand and are always willing to help with setup and to offer advice.

Indoor flying is the way to keep your flying skills fresh and to keep in touch with your fellow pilots during the long Winter months.

Any small electric and free-flight rubber-powered aircraft can be flown (up to 450 size helicopters and 16oz airplanes). The style of flying and type of aircraft should be tailored to match the pilot’s level of experience. Less experienced pilots should start with smaller, less dangerous models.

Many interesting and excellent performing indoor models are available from manufacturers such as E-Flite and Parkzone. Beginners should consider models such as the Parkzone Vapor RTF or Ember 2 RTF, or E-Flite Blade mCX or mSR helicopters.

ParkZone Ember 2 RTF

A current MAAC membership is required by all pilots who fly. A GMAC membership is optional, but is recommended if you plan on flying more than once ($40 for a GMAC membership, $10/night for non-members). There is no charge for spectators, so please come enjoy the fun!

Mega Indoor Funfly – Success!

  • February 7, 2012 9:04 am

We had a fantastic time!

Despite a big storm the day before, there were pilots from all over Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI; 61 in total. It was a great turnout!

Read the full story!

Helicopter Size Comparison

  • February 21, 2011 3:43 pm

Here’s a nice size comparision chart for Align helicopters ranging from the 250 all the way up to the 700. Although Align helicopters are the subjects, the chart is generally applicable to all helicopters.  Click on the picture to see the full size version.

Website Design

  • February 10, 2011 2:40 pm

 You’re looking at a new design for the club web site which is intended to provide a fresher, more interactive and dynamic experience.

Colin Bell flying it hard!

This new site is based on a blog system called WordPress. You can create an account and comment on postings or easily post your own content that would be of interest to club members and the larger R/C community.

This new site is intended to be for the members, by the members. It will be as good as we collectively make it. It belongs to you, our members.

All of our important application functionality has been adapted to WordPress. You’ll find our membership database and who’s flying pages work as they did before.

WordPress is very popular and there is a huge amount of support for it. This means that there are lots of freely available themes and extensions (plugins) that can help us simply update appearance of the site or add new functionality. The Events page is an example of a plugin.

Please check the new site out and let us know what you think. Contribute and participate.